Leather-splitting machine



N0. 6l8,060. Patented Ian. 24, I899. J. CBYDERMAN.

LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1898.)

(No Model.)

m m. L w E w 0? y .I A R m a i 7% i a i WITNEEEEEL M @lmt UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JACOB ORYDERMAN, OF )llLlVAUKEE, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE VAUGHNMACHINE COMPANY, OF' PORTLAND, MAINE.

LEATHER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,060, dated. January24:, 1899.

Application filed March 28,1898. Serial No. 675,377. (No model.)

To all whont it ntay concern: 7

Be it known that I, JACOB CRYDERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of\Visconsin, have invented an Innprovement in Leather-Splitting Machines,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawin gs representinglike parts. I

This invention relates to leather-splitting machines of that classemploying a knife in the form of a belt or band, usually an endlesso11e--such, for instance, as shown in United States Patent No. 362,694,dated May 10, 1SS7and has for its object to provide means for adjustmentof the knife belt or band whereby a more accurate adjustment of the saidknife may be effected in a minimum time and whereby uneven splitting ofthe leather is avoided.

In accordance with this invention the knife belt or band has cooperatingwith it a substantially long back plate, which is adapted to be movedbodily and the extent of which movement may be accurately predeterminedby gages or measuring devices, as will be described.

The knife-belt is movable between suitable jaws, and another feature ofthis invention consists in providing novel means, as will be described,whereby the amount of clearance between the knife-belt and the jaws maybe reduced to a minimum without interfering with the smooth or freepassage of the knifebelt between the jaws.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top or plan View, partially broken out, of a sufficientportion of a knife belt-splitting machine embodying this invention toenable it tobe understood; Fig. 2, a section, on an enlarged scale,taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking toward the left; and Fig. 3, asectional detail, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a knife belt or band of anysuitable or usual construction such as now commonly employed onleather-splitting machines of the class referred to, the said knifebeing adapted to travel between the jaws a a In accordance with thisinvention the knife to has cooperating with it a back plate a ofsubstantially the same length as the jaws a a". The back plate a isadapted to be moved bodily by an adjusting device shown as a bar I),supported by and movable upon threaded rods or bolts Z), herein shown asthree in number, and having their free ends extended loosely through theadj usting-bar Z) at its opposite ends and at or near its center. Thethreaded bolts or rods b may be rigidly attached to an upright bar 19herein shown as secured to or forming part of the lower jaw 66 The adjusting-bar Z) is adapted to act upon extensions of the back plate awhich extensions may and preferably will be made in the form of rods11*, projected loosely through the upright portion (9 of the lower jaw,which acts to guide the back plate in its movement. The forward movementof the adjusting-bar b on its supporting-rods b is regulated orcontrolled by means of a plurality of removable gages 6 which may besubstantially thin pieces of metal, preferably steel plates, and some orall of which may be of varying thickness, according to the amount ofadjustment required.

The gage-plates b are arranged in sets, herein shown as three in number,and interposed between the adjusting-bar b and the upright portion 11 ofthe lower jaw, and the said gage-plates may be supported in any suitableor desired manner, and in the present instance they are shown as locatedbetween the threaded rods 1) and the adjacent rod 19 and rest upon pins,plates, or rods 1), extended from the back plate or bar of the lowerjaw. The gage-plates of each set are of like thickness, so that when oneor more are removed from each set the bar I) may be moved forward thesame distance .for its entire length.

From the above description it will be seen that if it is desired to movethe knife a forward or in the direction indicated by the arrow 20 thiscan be done substantially in an instant by turning back the nuts 19 onthe threaded rods 1) and withdrawing one or more of the gage-plates bfrom each pile of gage plates and then setting up the nuts b As the nuts5 are set up the adjusting-bar b is moved forward and, acting againstthe rods 71 will move the back plate a and the knife a the desired orrequired distance. This adj ustment is accurately governed bythe metalgage-plates 19 so that when the nuts b are set up tight against the adjusting-bar Z) the operator knows that the knife or has been accuratelypositioned or adjusted throughout the length of the jaws.

In order to obtain a minimum amount of clearance between the upper jawand the knife belt or band, which amount will be sufficient to allow offree movement of the said knife through the jaws, and yet not sufficientto allow the knife to chatter, a series of non compressible templets (Z,preferably steel, are provided, which are accurately made of the samethickness as the rear portion of the knife-belt, andcorrespondingly-shaped compressible templets (1, preferably thincalendered paper, such as writing-paper, are interposed between the topjaw and the steel templets d. The templets (I may be secured between thejaws by means of the clampingbolts d employed to fasten the top jaw, asshown in Fig. 3. The steel templets d are noncompressible, while thepaper or fibrous templets d are compressible, and inasmuch as thesecompressible templets may be made very thin and then subjected tocompression by means of the clamping-bolts d it will be seen that theupper jaw a may be lifted from the knife substantially an infinitesimalamount, but yet sufficient to give the desired clearance to permit easypassage of the knife without danger of vibration or chattering.

By means of .the adjusting-bar b acting on the back plate substantiallythroughout its length the said back plate is moved bodily in itsadjustment and the knife-belt for the length of the back plate isuniformly adj usted and supported for a length substantially equal to orgreater than the length of the jaws, and as a result no opportunity forsagging or pressing back of the knife at individual points is permitted,and consequently uneven splitting of the leather is thereby avoided.

The jaws ct a the back plate a the adjusting-bar b, and the gage-platesform an attachment which can be applied to any knife belt-splittingmachine in place of the jaws and the plurality ofindividually-adjustable plates now commonly employed.

I claim 1. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, viz: a knife-belt, jaws between which thesaid knife is adapted to be moved, aback plate of a length substantiallyequal to the length of the said jaws, extensions projecting from therear side of said back plate, an adj usting-bar cooperating with saidextensions, and a plurality of removable gages to limit the movement ofthe said adjusting-bar, substantially as described.

2. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: a knife-belt, jaws between which the said knifeis adapted to be moved, a back plate, an adjusting device to bodily movesaid back plate, and removable gages to limit the movement of theadjusting device and thereby regulate the adjustment of said knife,substantially as described.

3. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: a knife-belt, jaws between which the said knifeis adapted to be moved, a back plate to efiect adjustment of theknife-belt, a noncompressible templet interposed between said jaws, anda compressible templet interposed between said non-compressible templetand one of said jaws, substantially as described.

4. An attachment for leather-splitting machines, comprising alower jaw,an upper jaw, a back plate of a length substantially equal to the lengthof the said jaws, an adjustingbar of substantially the length of theback plate and adapted to engage the same to move it forward betweensaid jaws, and a plurality of removable gage-plates arranged in sets andserving to limit the movement of said adj usting-bar, substantially asdescribed.

5. An attachment for leather-splitting machines, comprising a lower jawprovided with an upright rear portion, an upper jaw, a back plateinterposed between said jaws and provided with extensions projectedthrough the said upright portion of the lower jaw, an adj usting-barmovable toward said upright portion of the lower jaw, and removablegages interposed between said upright and said adjusting-bar,substantially as described.

6. In aleather-splitting machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: a knife-belt, jaws between which the said knifeis adapted to be moved, a non-compressible templet interposed betweensaid jaws, and a compressible templet interposed between saidnon-compressible templet and one of said jaws, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB CRYDERMAN.

lVitnesses:

ALMA KRUEGER, \VM. E. MILBRATH.

ICC

